Charlie Chan wasn't entirely a fictional
creation. The author Earl Derr Biggers fashioned him after a real-life
detective in Honolulu named Chang Apana. The character appeared
in six novels, the first of which was The House Without a Key,
but it was his presence in more than forty movies that Charlie Chan
replaced the then-pervasive image of the devious, sinister "Oriental
villain" (such as Fu Manchu) with that of a calm, insightful, and
never-failing sleuth who prevailed no matter how clever his adversary,
or how much bumbling interference he experienced from one of his
several wannabe sons.
Discuss this classic mystery character below.

I have been a big charlie Chan fan. Always loved Keye Luke ( I think he was #2 son) I have a question, what was his black chauffer name? It has driven me crazy for years. In New York they would not run these movies because they said it offened the Chinese people. Not true, These were classics.

Many people have found the Birmingham Brown character offensive. I guess I can see that but I would have to be pretty stupid to think that all black people are scared of ghosts, are supersticious, etc..
Hollywood has an unnaturally big influence over people's perceptions. Is that Hollywood's fault? not really. Entertainment is just that... As for Charlie Chan, I can't imagine a Chinese person thinking that Charlie was a degrading stereotype. Charlie was always the smartest and wisest person in the movie. If I said Asian people perform better on math tests, Would I be accused of racism? I love Charlie Chan movies. My favorite is 'Castle in the Desert'. Those movies are great entertainment. It's too bad most people can't see them for that.

Fran Hinkel - 04:38am Aug 22, 2005 PST(#172 of 178)
You can check out anytime you like...but you can never leave!

Frivilous thought: I wonder what they think of the forensics series featuring Dr. Henry Lee. After all these years in this country, Dr. Lee still does not speak English very well. Or is that okay because it is real?

I really have to wonder what the truth is from the majority of Chinese people. Do they really find Charlie Chan offensive? I agree with the comments here that Chan was portrayed as a wise man who was much admired for his abilities. Long live Charlie Chan!!!

What many people forget is this is history.
You can't change what happened 60-70 years
ago.We should all just relax & enjoy a
piece of film history.At least there's
no swearing,constant sex & blood & guts
all over the screen!

The chauffer's name, in case you haven't learned yet, was Birmingham. Also, I just wondered if anyone out there collects the books? I have all of them (with dust jackets) including two different covers with dust jackets for "House Without A Key" which was the first Charlie Chan mystery.

I have just purchased a DVD set of 36 BW
films (Oland, Toler, Winters) from the site
iOffer. Their price is $23 for the set. No
notes, nice square (CD-size rather than DVD
tall) box.
The set includes "Eran Trece," the Spanish
version of "CC Caries On," the one that
Oland never finished because of illness and
finally, death. Missing (besides all the
lost films, of course) are "Secret
Service," "Chinese Cat," "Black Magic,"
"Scarlet Clue," "Jade Mask" as well as two
Spanish indies, "Serpiente Roja" and
"Monstruo en la Sombra." Also not there, of
course, the five (or more?) Chinese-made CC
films. Nobody seems to have those.
"Return of CC" and "Curse of the Dragon
Queen," the two modern color full-length
pieces (ca. 90' each) are of course not
there, either.
And finally, what about that 19' short made
a couple of years ago, "CC in Transylvania"
by amateur Brian Nichols?